"See you later, alligator," it burbled, vomiting a stream of black ichor onto the floor.
Stacy quickly turned, tripped, and fell to the floor. Geoff wrapped his strong arms around her waist and pulled her to her feet. With him in the lead, they burst through the front door and out into the snowy night where they were quickly enveloped by the wet, freezing air. They ran up the center of the street, dodging the rusted-out hulks of dozens of crumpled vehicles buried beneath a fresh coating of snow. Whatever had happened here had happened ages ago, but they weren't about to stop and sightsee.
The front windows of Macelli's Market exploded in blue fire and sent jagged shards of glass into the street. Geoff turned to make sure they weren't being followed; he ran into the twisted bumper of an abandoned pickup truck and howled into the night as he buckled and fell to the road. Stacy pulled at his arms and helped him to his feet, but he was moving much slower now, limping on his right knee which was already beginning to swell. The night was filled with the sounds of a long-forgotten catastrophe: the chaos of rending metal, the squeal of tires, the screams of people being burned alive inside the ovens of their flaming vehicles.
He smelled the rank odors of burning rubber and flesh.
This is impossible.
They ran away from Elmview's main intersection, leaving the chorus of shrieking victims behind them, escaping the echoes of time's pursuit. The snow fell harder, quickly covering their tracks as they ran blindly into the forsaken town.
From the second floor of Macelli's Market, a shape appeared, a black mass that quickly tore apart and scattered into the night sky. It no longer had to wait in the shadows; it was free to roam as it pleased.
Elmview had been its home, its playground, and its grave, but this time there was nothing standing in its way.
***
"I'm dreaming," Beth said. "That's it! None of this is real."
"What the hell was that?" Roger asked.
"Turn out the lights," Romeo whispered, "and be quiet."
The room darkened as they sat hunched beneath the windows in the front of the house. Romeo could clearly see the disturbed patch of snow where Trina had been attacked. Her flashlight had been knocked from her hand and had come to rest twenty feet away; the beam lit the blood-splashed snow and illuminated a ragged chunk of flesh the creature had left behind. There was plenty more of Trina to go around.
"What's out there?" Dink asked. "Is that thing still there?"
"No," Romeo said, "I don't see anything."
"We have to get out of here," Lisa cried. Roger pulled her close and let her sob on his shoulder.
"I think we're safer in here," Romeo said. "They can't turn a doorknob."
"How the fuck do you know what they can do?" Beth asked. "That... thing ripped her open like she was made of paper."
"I hope Geoff and Stacy got out of here," Dink said.
"Why should they be so lucky?" Lisa asked. "They just left us here."
"We don't know what happened. Their car is still here; they might be close by."
"Or they could be sitting at home and eating pizza and making up stories for when the cops start asking questions."
"Lisa, just knock it off, okay? They're our friends. They wouldn't just leave us here."
"Then where the fuck are they?" she shrieked.
"Calm down, baby," Roger soothed. "There's no reason to get hysterical."
"There's a million reasons to get hysterical! If you haven't noticed, one of those reasons just dragged Trina into the fucking woods after chewing a sunroof in her neck."
"Just shut up!" Romeo exploded. "You never even liked her, none of you liked her, so let's not pretend you give a shit about what happened. You're just glad it was her and not you."
"You're damn right I'm glad it was her," Lisa hissed. "If she hadn't been such a bitch, maybe we'd still have that third flashlight."
Romeo stood and glared down at her. "Roger, you'd better shut your wife up before I throw her outside."
"Now wait a minute," Roger said, standing to meet him. "You need to back off. I know you just lost Trina, but I'm not going to let you take it out on us."
"You're not going to let me? Are you going to do something about it?"
"Both of you, knock it the fuck off. Look." Dink stood at the window and pointed outside. They crowded around the large front windows and watched as giant wolves lined up in the snow and watched the house with fiery eyes. The largest of the bunch licked blood from its muzzle as it stood over the remains of a severed leg. Trina's leg. One of the others pointed its face to the sky and howled as dozens of sets of eyes opened and stared at them from the trees, glowing malevolently.
"They're all around us," Beth moaned. "There's no way out."
"We'll find a way," Dink said. "I'm not going out like this."
"Let's hope Geoff went for help," Romeo said. "It doesn't make any sense, but it's our best chance."
Roger wiped sweat from his forehead and turned away from the window. "It's warm in here."
"Too warm," Dink said.
"There," Beth pointed into the dining room. "There's a fire."
As a group, they walked to the entrance of the massive dining hall and watched as the flames chewed away at the fresh wood.
"I knew it," Dink shouted. "Geoff has to be around here somewhere."
"How do you know it was Geoff?" Beth stared into the flames and slowly shook her head. "Do you see any sign of him?"
"Well, no, but it didn't build itself."
"And it's a hell of a lot better than being trapped in the snow," Lisa added.
Romeo entered the room and muttered something under his breath. The fact that he'd just watched his girlfriend get eaten by a hell-hound hadn't yet fully registered. Everyone was worried about Geoff and Stacy, but didn't seem to realize that everything they'd witnessed so far was impossible. The mind has very interesting ways of dealing with the unexplained; in this case, it seemed as if they were better off ignoring what had happened and looking for other reasons to make sense of their circumstances.
Romeo knew better. He felt everything wrong with the situation, from the snow melting in his hair to the numbness in his fingertips. He approached the fire and let the warmth sink into his bones. Lisa was right about one thing, it was better than being trapped in the snow, but it didn't explain who'd built the fire in the first place.
"I say we stay here for the night." Roger walked forward and put his hand on Romeo's shoulder. "Listen, I'm sorry about what happened, but we need a plan if we don't want to wind up like Trina. It's safer in here, it's warm, and we're all together. As long as we don't get separated, we have safety in numbers."
Romeo nodded. Daylight was only hours away. At least in the morning they'd be able to see where they were going, maybe even find a way to get Geoff's truck running. He figured a quick search of Geoff's tent might turn up the missing set of keys, unless they'd taken them along when they decided to leave everyone behind. Romeo shook his head, realizing that was a stupid idea. If Geoff and Stacy had the keys, they would have used the truck in the first place, not run off to God knows where in several inches of snow and ice. He wished just one thing made sense.
Beth pinched her nose and waved a hand in front of her face. "It stinks in here."
"I've had apartments that smelled worse," Dink laughed.
"No, she's right," Roger said. "Like something died in here."
"Fantastic!" Lisa exclaimed. "Can we please refrain from mentioning anything dying?"
Romeo shot her a nasty look over his shoulder, but remained quiet.
"I'm sorry, babe. You're right. I wasn't thinking about..."
"What is wrong with you people?" Romeo growled. "After what just happened, how can you even talk about death like it's some foreign concept? Did you see what that thing did to her, because I sure as hell did, and it's not something I'll ever forget. She was right there, right in front of me, and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't help her."
"There's
nothing anyone could have done." Beth spoke soothingly and stepped closer, preparing to hug Romeo if he allowed it, but he stepped away immediately.
"I don't want to hear any more bullshit from any of you. She wasn't your responsibility, she was mine, and I blew it, okay? I just watched it happen like I was seeing a movie down at the theater."
"Don't blame yourself," Dink interrupted. "There was no way you could have known what..."
Romeo rushed toward him and grabbed him by the shirt collar without letting him finish. "What did I tell you? I do not want to hear any more about it! For Christ's sake!"
"I'm sorry," Dink began, but his words were cut off as Romeo swung his arm and connected squarely with Dink's jaw. He fell back and tumbled to the floor, spitting out a gob of bloody saliva.
"Now hold on," Roger shouted. "Don't take your shit out on us, we're just trying to help."
"Like you helped outside? Like you helped when that thing was ripping her apart?" Romeo balled his fists, preparing another attack, when his body went limp. Wide-eyed, he gazed past them and into the darkened hall. "There! Do you hear that?"
They turned, listening intently, but heard only their own breathing. Dink looked up and rubbed his jaw as Roger offered him a hand and pulled him to his feet. Lisa shrugged, watching their faces for a sign. Confused, they turned to Romeo and waited.
"There," he whispered. "She's still alive. I can hear her calling out for me."
"There's nothing there. It's just the wind," Roger replied.
"The wind my ass," Romeo hissed. "It's Trina. She's in the house."
He pushed through them and stopped in the hall, cocking his head. Roger stepped forward, but Dink put his arm out, blocking his path. He shook his head and pulled Roger back.
"Let him go. He's losing it."
"Trina!" Romeo hollered. "Trina, where are you? Just keep shouting and I'll follow your voice."
"I don't hear anything," Lisa whispered.
"Neither does he," Roger replied.
"Just keep yelling and I'll find you!" Romeo's eyes had gone blank. "She's okay," he sobbed. "I fucking told you she's here. Don't you hear her?"
"Romeo, it's not her. She's gone." Beth crept up behind him and followed his wild stare. "We saw what happened to her. She couldn't have survived that."
He spun on her, brandishing the flashlight like a weapon. "You don't know what you're talking about. I can hear her calling out to me. TRINA!"
Dink grabbed Roger by the arm and pulled him close. "If we're not alone out here, that idiot is going to bring them right to us."
"What are we supposed to do? Gag him? He just lost his girlfriend, Dink."
"All I'm saying is that we need to calm him down before we're the next ones being dragged into the woods."
"THERE!" Romeo bellowed. "She's in the cellar." He turned and smiled, but it was no longer him. He was a stranger, a raving lunatic.
"Romeo, don't," Lisa pleaded.
"Just wait here," he panted. "I'll be back as soon as I find her."
"Don't do it," Dink shouted. "You know what happens in all the movies when people split up."
"This isn't a movie, Dink. This is actually happening. I have to save her."
Without warning, Romeo turned and bolted down the long hallway, calling Trina's name in one unbroken shriek. He stood motionless at the cellar door, shining his light into the swirling darkness.
"I'm coming, Trina. Just hold on."
He crossed the threshold and disappeared as the door squeaked closed behind him. The house was completely silent. The remaining four friends watched each other quietly, afraid to be the first to speak.
"Are we supposed to go after him?" Roger asked.
Dink shrugged as Beth grabbed his hand and shuddered. "How is any of this happening?" she whispered.
"We have to stick together," Lisa said. "Let's go after Romeo, get back here, and hunker down for the night. There's got to be a rational explanation for all this."
"If there is, I can't wait to hear it," Beth mumbled.
They huddled together, staying in the glow of their one remaining flashlight. Dink peeked through the threadbare curtains into the darkness beyond. If the wolves were still out there, they'd gone back to the shadows. The snow had intensified, covering their tracks and obscuring the crimson patch of ground where Trina had met her end.
"Do you really think she's down there?" Lisa asked. "I mean, is it possible?"
"That thing was eating her leg," Roger replied. "What do you think?"
They shuffled down the hall, pausing at every creak and groan as the house settled around them. Darkness crept in like a living thing, holding them in its cold embrace. Roger placed a hand on Lisa's back and felt her muscles tighten. They stopped at the cellar door and listened. Beth put her ear to the peeling wood and closed her eyes.
"It's so weird," she said. "It's like listening to the ocean through a seashell."
"We're far away from the beach," Lisa added, "and this is certainly no vacation."
"I'm serious. Listen."
Like eavesdropping children, they placed their ears to the door and held their breath.
"I can hear water," Dink whispered. "Do you hear it? Like waves lapping at the beach."
Lisa stepped away and shook her head. "Let's just go."
"We're not just going to leave him down there," Roger replied.
"I'm not going. You're not dragging me through that door. Nope, no way."
"Then stay here by yourself," Roger grumbled.
"This place is all wrong," she cried. "I'm not risking my life for Romeo, or for Trina. Especially not for Trina. If she's down there, those two can find their own way back."
Roger blocked her out. During their entire time as a couple, he'd never once seen her this scared or this selfish. He suddenly felt hollow.
"Just stay back while I get the door open," he demanded. "If you want to follow me, fine. If not, I'll go alone. I'm not just going to turn my back and pretend everything is fine."
"Is that what you think I'm doing?" Lisa asked. "Pretending everything is fine? Because I have news for you. Nothing is fine."
Roger ignored her and wrapped his hand around the cold, brass doorknob. He turned and pulled, but the door remained closed. He turned it the other way and tried again with the same outcome. Just as before, the door was locked. He rattled the knob, hammered on the dry wood with his open hand, all to no avail.
The door wouldn't budge.
"Are you happy?" Lisa turned and walked a few steps, relieved. "Now can we go back to the dining room?"
Before anyone could answer, the door rattled loudly in its frame as a cold gush of foul-smelling water poured through the crack under the door and spread around their feet. They backed away, gagging at the stench and raising their hands to cover their mouths. Yellow foam bubbled up between the floorboards and coated their shoes.
"It smells like a swamp," Dink gagged.
With a laugh, something pounded on the door again as another rush of stagnant water flowed into the hall.
"I can part the veil if that's what you want," a voice rumbled from the other side. "Everyone's welcome."
"Who are you?" Roger shouted. "What do you want?"
"Rebirth," it hissed. "Revenge. I want what's mine."
Beth pressed herself tightly against the wall as her bladder let go. Lisa joined her, clinging to her arm and moaning deep in her throat. Dink and Roger stood in front of them protectively, fighting the urge to run blindly through the dark passages and away from the voice on the other side of the door.
"What have you done with our friends?" Dink cried.
The voice responded with a dry cackle, but now it wasn't just confined behind the cellar door, it was everywhere. It boomed from empty rooms, rushed toward them on frigid winds, echoed from beneath their feet and over their heads as if the house had learned to speak.
"What do you care of their sad existence? The girl has never mattered to any of you, or you to her.
She was a whore. She ate from the table of human weakness as if it was a buffet, only stopping for regular trips to the clinic to have her womb scraped free of her latest abomination. Does she deserve your pity? She's better feeding the dogs; they won't turn their faces away from a putrid meal."
"Run," Dink ordered. "Anywhere but here."
"That's right. Run," the voice mocked. "Into the snow and into the waiting jaws of my beloved friends. Your blood will nourish them before freezing in your dead, rotting veins."
The door began glowing with an ugly gray light. Roger watched as a single word appeared in the wood, crudely carved by an unseen hand. Blood leaked from the letters like a fresh wound.
Welcome.
They turned and ran, tripping over one another and wailing incoherently as they neared the front door. They burst onto the porch and peered into the snowy night, their breath escaping in steaming, white clouds. The wolves waited for them, eyes glowing with a menacing warning. They'd grown larger and their canines jutted from their slavering jaws like tusks. The house thrummed with invisible energy as windows shattered and floors buckled.
"The choice is yours," the voice called. "Die warm, or die cold. It makes no difference to me. Either way, I get what I want."
A hot blast of air buffeted their backs, nearly blowing them off the porch and into the frozen void beyond. They clung to the rotted railing and to each other as the wind changed direction and threatened to suck them back inside. They moved aside, away from the entrance, and pressed themselves to the wall on either side of the door. The wind continued shifting directions rhythmically; one hot gust out, followed by one cold blast in. Snow was drawn inside where it quickly melted and was expelled as a fine, hot mist.
"The house... is breathing," Roger huffed.
Wind whistled through the doorway as the house inhaled. Siding cracked and split and fell into the snow as the house filled its diseased lungs. Air wheezed back out in a hot spray of steaming vapor. When it inhaled again, the wind stopped, and the house groaned from the pressure.
The Traveler (The Great Rift Book 2) Page 7